diff --git a/pkg/lisafs/handlers.go b/pkg/lisafs/handlers.go
index cb7167bb7..9f3f9c1c6 100644
--- a/pkg/lisafs/handlers.go
+++ b/pkg/lisafs/handlers.go
@@ -892,6 +892,7 @@ func LinkAtHandler(c *Connection, comm Communicator, payloadLen uint32) (uint32,
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
+	defer targetFD.DecRef(nil)
 	if targetFD.IsDir() {
 		// Can not create hard link to directory.
 		return 0, unix.EPERM
diff --git a/pkg/lisafs/testsuite/testsuite.go b/pkg/lisafs/testsuite/testsuite.go
index e9815baa2..0ae4db28d 100644
--- a/pkg/lisafs/testsuite/testsuite.go
+++ b/pkg/lisafs/testsuite/testsuite.go
@@ -490,7 +490,8 @@ func testHardLink(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, tester Tester, root lisafs.
 	defer closeFD(ctx, t, fd)
 	defer unix.Close(hostFD)
 
-	link, linkStat := link(ctx, t, root, name, controlFile)
+	linkName := "linkFile"
+	link, linkStat := link(ctx, t, root, linkName, controlFile)
 	defer closeFD(ctx, t, link)
 
 	if linkStat.Ino != fileIno.Ino {